"If it looks like an abandoned bike, it's gone," Burrows said. "(If the suspicious bike is parked) after midnight and before 6 a.m., the bike's going to be investigated and there's a good shot it's going to be removed."

He said some bikes have already been removed by police. Any cyclist who
discovers his or her wheels missing can check with the Toronto Property
Bureau at 799 Islington Ave. (416-808-3750).

"The other day, there was a very old decrepit bicycle -- there was no way
it could have been ridden -- and it was locked with a brand new Kryptonite lock. These things just don't go together," Burrows said. "Whether it’s intent is to be used as a weapon or any other
nefarious purpose, we’re just not taking the chance."

Meanwhile, it seems some office buildings are accommodating their cycle-happy employees and moving staff bike parking indoors. Twitter user @kayakinstructor tweeted this picture today of a Queen's Park building, where a makeshift indoor bike parking seems to have been constructed in the lobby.

There has been "surprisingly little" indication of terrorist activity during the G8 and G20 summits, the head spy at CSIS told the CBC Monday night.

Richard Fadden, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, told The National's Peter Mansbridge that CSIS agents have been gathering intelligence for the past 12 to 18 months and there has been "surprisingly little on the terrorism front."

"We
don't think there is anyone who is really interested in doing any harm
from that perspective," Fadden told the CBC. He adds that Al Qaeda, for example, prefers not to have its "timing planned for it" and tends to strike when least expected.

But "anarchist groups" and "multi-issue extremists" are a different story, he warned. Fadden predicts "a substantial amount of people" will take advantage of the summits to get the world's attention.

"Nothing attracts the world media like the G8 and G20, so anyone who is
interested in getting their issues in front of the public, I think, are
interested in being in Toronto," Fadden said.

He adds that his top concern is the "lone wolf" who has been planning something for the past year or two and comes in "unexpectedly."

"I think most people want to go and get their issues on the front page," he said. "But I think there's a small number who believe that the only way that they can do this effectively is by causing a bit of a ruckus."

06/17/2010

First, the fence went up around the Metro Convention Centre. Then some lanes were partially closed for traffic at downtown streets. Now, Toronto police officers are swarming all over the downtown core.

There were officers at every intersection in the area around the Metro Convention Centre. Two officers were chatting with each other at Front and York Sts. while a lone cop was checking his BlackBerry at University and Wellington Sts. Just west of that, near the CBC building, three cops stood around a car parked on the street. At John and Wellington Sts., an officer was walking out of a Starbucks. A few metres west, two cops were quietly watching as a group of guests were unloading their bags from a cab right outside Soho hotel.

06/10/2010

That reality hit dozens of (mostly young) residents of the condo building at 51 Lower Simcoe St. on Wednesday night at a G20 security briefing.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of demonstrators will be right in front of 51 during the G20 Summit. Making lots and lots of noise residents learned. Every day. Perhaps ALL night long. Perhaps, and only perhaps, causing violence and damage.

Scores of good questions were asked of affable Toronto police constable Helen Dixon and building manager John Battistella. But it was the tone, the mood and the emotions (which, yes, included fear) escaping from behind the questioners' words that were most telling as the residents grasped, and grappled with, a now inescapable fact: you really do live right on the front line.

What a grim reality to learn in, of all places, the Party Room.

Sure, everyone had seen THE map, the one showing the security fence going right up Lower Simcoe, crossing north on Bremner St., right smack in front of the entrance to 51. Everyone knew, or should have realized, that 51 is the residential building CLOSEST to the south side Metro Convention Centre, epicentre of G20.

But noisy demonstrators on the doorstep? All night long? Possible lockdowns and lockouts? Who da thunk it when they handed over their downpayment?

"This building," said Dixon,"is in a unique position."

You bet it is.

"Protesters will be allowed right up to the fence." On two sides of the building.
"Yikes", I think, was the shared, unspoken reaction.

"Who decided all this?" snarled a man standing in the doorway. The reply, almost in unison from several parts of the room: Stephen Harper. Lucky for the Tories there was no federal election in that room last night.

Dixon and Battistella gave a good, cheerful effort in trying to answer questions directly, authoritatively, or as directly as they were allowed. Sometimes with humour (there were quips on all sides about Harper's "fake lake").

The questions came fast and furious, almost all focused on mobility and safety:

How will I get to my condo?

Who pays if the building gets wrecked?

If I call the cops with a noise complaint after 11, will they do anything? What about the noise bylaw?

What's the level of danger?

Will I be able to get into the building safely at all hours?

Why were the fences put up overnight, disturbing our sleep?

What about all the different road closures each night?

Why are the police already so unhelpful, several asked (one man told the crowd he asked the police a question this week and the reply was "you're on a need to know basis")?

Are the police watching us? Some silence. Some snickers. A question as the response: "What do you think?"

Dixon had lots of good if obvious advice. Carry ID. Don't use your car after the Thursday before the G20. Read the website. Yes, you can use your balcony. We've never had a G20 before and don't know what kind of "animal" to expect (I think she was referring to the event but I'm sure some thought she meant the protesters). The majority of demonstrators are peaceful folks who just want their message to be heard. Police will be everywhere to protect you and your building. Check the website for updates. The security gates will close Thursday at 8.30 p.m. Check your insurance.

One store owner said she had thoroughly read the government warnings re G20 liability for damages. Read the fine print, she warned. The government won't pay, she said. Her insurance won't pay. So who pays if things turn ugly?

No answer to that one.

Building manager Battistella assured residents that, yes, extra security had been hired. Maybe more on the way. Yes, the garage entrance will be guarded. No one but residents will be allowed in the building. No protesters. And no journalists. (Though there are rumours that a British journalist has already scooped a condo for a week. $4,800 Canadian. And more are rumoured listed on Craigslist, saying "protesters welcome.")

"Will there be police snipers on the roof?" a man asked. "No," Battistella replied, emphatically. Several in the crowd looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

As the meeting wound down, the one unasked question that was on almost everyone's mind, but that no one had dared to ask: "So where do I walk my dog?"

Battistella chuckled and replied, "I'm working on that."

Welcome to the G20 "party" 51 Lower Simcoe.

Oh, and that party? When it's over, said Constable Dixon, don't expect it to be cleaned up until after the Canada Day weekend.

When it came to law enforcement personnel, it was the whole kit and caboodle: there were cops on bikes, cops on horseback, cops with riot gear, cops with German Shepherds, and yes, even cops with the LRADs, or long range acoustic devices (the so-called sound cannons). There were units from the Canadian Forces, Peel Police, Toronto Police, Ontario Provincial Police, the city's Emergency Task Force and the province's CBRN response team (which reacts to threats of the chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear kind).

The ISU held its "technical briefing" for media at the Toronto Police College at 70 Birmingham St. Reporters and camera crews were asked to stand behind a metal barrier as the various police and army units flexed their muscles and demonstrated what Torontonians "may be exposed to and experience during the summit."

Here is what we saw:

Motorcades: Reports have estimated there will be as many as 83 motorcades during the summit, each of which could involve 10 to 50 cars. The motorcades are sure to snarl traffic from June 24 to 27 as dignitaries move between Pearson Airport, the G8 in Huntsville and the G20 at Toronto's Metro Convention Centre.

In the demo, each VIP vehicle was book-ended by police cruisers and officers on motorcycles. Several other police officers also rode ahead to block off roads for the motorcades to pass through. It was a highly choreographed affair and as the motorcade prepared to drive away, the officer at the front commanded "Fire 'em up" into his headset and each vehicle gunned its engine nearly in unison.

Crowd control: The police response to an escalating crowd seems to happen in stages.

In the demonstration, eight police officers on bicycles rode in formation and lined up to create a human barricade. Next, a riot squad marched in with its shields up and stood behind the officers with bicycles in two perpendicular rows, creating a kind of u-shaped formation. Riot police on horseback then followed and stood at the back; according to Const. Wendy Drummond, the mounted police units will be deployed 24 hours a day during the summit for crowd management purposes.

The police officers on bicycles then proceeded to lift their front wheels as riot officers moved to the front. It was at this point that two officers used a "handheld" LRAD device to communicate their message to the imaginary crowd:

"This is the Toronto Police Service. I'm asking you to vacate to your right in an orderly fashion down Birmingham St."

LRADs:Police emphasized that their four recently purchased LRADs are not weapons and will be used as a communication devices, with the alert function deployed for no more than five seconds as a way of getting people's attention. Police say they will use the alert function if necessary but will not deploy it on crowds or protesters standing 10 metres away.

Of the four LRADs purchased by Toronto police, three are the 100X model. These versions can reach
amplitudes of 135 decibels for anyone standing one metre in front of
the device; they are referred to as the handheld models but really look more like black backpacks worn on the front.

Two officers are required to operate the LRADs -- one who wears the device and a "public order commander" who speaks into the microphone and determines at what strength to calibrate the alerts. Police say 24 officers are currently being trained to use the LRADs.

The first demonstration of the LRAD was only at half-strength, about 70 dB, and the sound was underwhelming at best. I could barely even hear it from about 20 metres away and had to move closer to the device in order to hear the messages being broadcast.

Police officers demonstrated the LRADs a second time, however, this time dialling the volume to full strength and standing at a distance of about one city block away. This time, they spoke into the loudspeaker while panning the LRAD from side to side because the device creates a "tunnel" of sound -- when the LRADs point away from you the noise is actually quite muted. When you stand in its path, however, it is like having a speaker right up against your ear.

During the full-strength demonstration, the alert was also sounded for a few seconds at full force. It was a loud blip that was irritating and jarring, making a few reporters jump. The sound was certainly piercing but tolerable; however, if it were to run for longer than five seconds, it would certainly become less than bearable.

Special operations: The Toronto Police Emergency Task Force (ETF) has eight special weapons teams, complete with negotiators, snipers, sniper spotters, rappel experts and CBRN-certified officers that can respond to hazardous materials, bomb threats and the like. The Emergency Task Force units will be located within the "interdicted zone" just outside the RCMP-controlled summit site.

Staff Insp. Dave Marks wouldn't disclose how many ETF officers will be working at the summit but confirmed the force has about 100 officers in total. Its marine unit, which will have the larger 300x LRAD at its disposal, will be patrolling the lake to potentially "assault other vessels," according to Marks.

The Ontario Police will also have its Urban Search and Rescue and CBRN teams working at the summits, with about 24 trained officers across the two units. Among its capabilities are:

"Obstruction removal" -- protesters often use machinery to lock themselves to trucks, railways or even ships, and a specialized team will be on hand to dislodge and remove them.

Rescue -- in the event of a large structural collapse, a rescue team, complete with three dog handlers, will be available for search and rescue missions.

K-9 units: Toronto police will have 22 dog handlers with 34 police dogs at its disposal. The Belgian Shepherd Malinois and German Shepherds are trained to do everything from detecting explosives and firearms to "criminal apprehension."

Canadian Forces: The Canadian Forces' contingent for the G20 will be mainly stationed at Pearson where it will conduct foot patrols with other units, mostly from Peel Police. Soldiers will be be dressed in full fatigues and armed with C7A1 rifles for self defence, according to public affairs officer Captain John-Hugh MacDonald.

"(Soldiers will) provide surveillance and observe, and provide early warning to law enforcement," he said.

EMS and Fire Services: It will be all hands on deck for Toronto EMS during the summit as all staff has been asked not to book vacation during the G20 week. There will be EMS buses available to respond to mass injuries -- these vehicles are capable of holding eight people on stretchers although some can be converted into seating to accommodate more patients. The bus is meant to serve as a large ambulance but can also be converted to a field hospital, if necessary.

In the event of a mass contamination, like tear gas contaminations, EMS will be operating inside the "cold zone" -- because tear gas can be passed from person to person, exposed victims should be decontaminated before entering an ambulance to be taken to hospital.

The fire department will be operating in the "hot zone" however, and serve as the first responders to tear gas victims. Captain Bill Casey said the fire department has mobile tents it can set up in the event of tear gas contaminations.

Not everyonewasthrilled when the city replaced our garbage bins with those newfangled plastic jobs by Astral Media.

But say what you will about the Astral bins. Surely, they're better than, say, plastic bags haphazardly taped to streetlights -- which is exactly what the city has done across downtown Toronto to replace the approximately 200 litter bins being removed for the G20 summit.

Hey, it gets the job done! And violent protesters won't be able to use them as lethal weapons. We hope.

05/28/2010

The TTC has issued a press release about how public transportation will be affected during the G20 summit. With the exception of some minor surface route diversions, the TTC promises to "operate as usual" (in other words: grumpily, expensively, and prone to delays? Just kidding @bradTTC).

Here are the details:

All subway stations will remain open. The Queens Quay streetcar station will close from June 25-27

TTC will operate regularly scheduled service with some minor surface route diversions

6 Bay, 72A Pape and 320 Yonge bus routes will be diverted during June 25-27

Should any security concerns arise, TTC will alter service or routes as necessary. Service changes or diversions will be communicated as quickly as possible via ttc.ca, e-alerts, platform screens, Twitter and Facebook.

On June 25 only, the 97B Yonge bus and 503 streetcar routes will be diverted (they do not operate on weekends)

The 509 and 510 streetcars will be bypassing Queens Quay station, which will be closed from June 25-27

The 504 King streetcar will run its regular service

Of course, as with everything else G20-related, all of this is subject to change.

Should protesters force streetcars or buses to a standstill, routes may get diverted or people will be asked to safely disembark, says TTC spokesperson Brad Ross.

Ross said Wheel-Trans users will also be able to ride their usual buses into the yellow zone, or outer security perimeter, but should notify TTC and G20 summit officials just in case.

"(Stephen Harper) is going to spend more on haircuts ... then
we'll get in compensation," Vaughan said Friday morning. "I don't know how you justify
that."

"It's unacceptable. To walk away from Canadian taxpayers and spend $1 billion protecting visitors of the city and not the people that gave you that billion dollars is wrong."

Vaughan said the entire Entertainment District will effectively be impacted by summit protesters, as well as some 2,800 residents living "within a stone's throw of the red zone."

He pledges to continue raising the issue with the federal government and demand answers from Harper.

"I think Stephen Harper has an obligation to Canadian taxpayers. If he can spend a billion dollars protecting his photo op, he can spend money protecting the businesses and the residents in the area he's staging this event," Vaughan said. "And if he doesn't want to stand up for Canadian taxpayers, I don't think he's in the right job."

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